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Looking for a last minute present for X-Mas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Yule? Trying to decide what to get with all those gift cards you’re sure to get from unimaginative gift-givers? Well, fret no more; Test Patterns is finally available!

The debut anthology from Planet X Publications, Test Patterns features all-new original stories and poetry inspired by such classic horror, sci-fi, and fantasy TV shows as The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and The Outer Limits.

My story, “I Am Become Death,” is about a WWII combat photographer who, after documenting the devastation at Hiroshima, returns to America only to find that some shadowy thing has come home with him.

Check out the full list of contributors below.

Table of Contents:

“The Woman in the Forge of Saturday Night” by Joe Pulver

“Evidence of Absence” by Scott Graves

“I Am Become Death” by William Tea

“The Judge” by Philip Fracassi

“The Snake Beneath My Skin” by Sarah Walker

“The Hands of Chaos” by Ashley Dioses

“The Nomenclature of Unnamable Horrors” by Peter Rawlik

“Golden Girl” by S.L. Edwards

“Scenes From a Forgotten Diorama” by Brian O’Connell

“You Can’t Go Wrong with Grass-Fed Beef” by Jill Hand

“Abettor” by Ruth Asch

“Work Group” by Pete Carter

“The Cliffside Tavern” by Sean M. Thompson

“One Evening in Whitbridge” by Scott Thomas

“The Velveteen Volvo” by Nathan Carson

“Outre Non-Limitations” by Frederick J. Mayer

“The Kumiho Question” by Frederick J. Mayer

“I’ve Lived in This Place a Long Time” by Can Wiggins

“The White Terror” by Frank Coffman

“Symptom of the Universe” by John Claude Smith

“Sustenance of the Stars” by Scott J. Couturier

“Alien Shore” by Rob Martin

“Ye Hermit’s Lay” by Adam Bolivar

“Bridge” by Don Webb

“Balls” by Russell Smeaton

“Call Me Corey” by Matthew M. Bartlett

“Hero Mother” by Cody Goodfellow

“Red-Eye” by Mark Rainey

“Séance” by K.A. Opperman

“Looking for Ghosts” by Duane Pesice

Yes indeed, this anthology is surely the perfect holiday surprise for that special someone you love. Or for the one you just kinda like. Or for the one you hate. Or for yourself. For anybody, really!

Greeting mortals! Today I’m happy to announce that a new story of mine, “I Am Become Death,” will be featured in the upcoming anthology Test Patterns, the premiere release of the newly formed Planet X Publications. I’m fortunate to share the pages of this exciting anthology with some truly amazing writers, many of whom I would consider among the very best voices in genre fiction today. Check out the table of contents for yourself below. This is going to be one hefty tome!

Inspired by such classic TV shows as The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, and Night Gallery, Test Patterns is a collection of richly varied tales, told in unique ways, employing provocative twists and surprises, and exploring the universal themes of humanity and self-discovery through the lenses of horror, fantasy, and science fiction.

Test Patterns is due out this Halloween. In the meantime,click here to reserve a copy of the anthology in either ebook format ($5), trade paperback ($20), or limited edition hardcover ($40), and help support an upstart independent publisher with a vested interest in high-quality strange and supernatural fiction.

In “Insect Song,” a young woman returning home to make peace with her estranged mother runs afoul of local bigotry, her own haunted past, and something not quite human whose every movement is accompanied by the sound of dry, crackling leaves. This story appears in Weirdbook #36, and can be purchased in ebook and paperback from Wildside Press and Amazon.com.

In “Reset,” a tortured soul condemned to live and die and live and die over and over again looks beyond the veil of reality in search of answers to the questions that plague his every waking moment: “Who am I?” “Why is this happening to me?” and “How can I get revenge?” This story appears in Terror in 16-Bits, and can be purchased in paperback from Muzzleland Press, and in paperback and ebook from Amazon.com.

Though I’m currently hard at work on the first draft of my first novel, that doesn’t mean I haven’t had time to work on a few short stories here and there. Some of them I’ve even managed to trick people into believing are good enough for publication!

A few weeks ago, I revealed that my story “Reset” is set to be part of the Terror in 16-Bits anthology being released in August by Muzzleland Press. Today, I’m happy to officially announce another story of mine, titled “Insect Song,” is also due out in August, in issue #36 of Weirdbook Magazine.

First debuting in 1969, Weirdbook has a long, rich legacy that I am overjoyed to become a part of, even if it’s only in a very small way. A fan of the title myself, over the years I’ve collected almost every issue from both the mag’s original run and its recent revival from Wildside Press. More than a few authors I look up to have contributed to Weirdbook’s history, from Brian Lumley and William Scott Home to Gary A. Braunbeck and Garrett Cook. Having the chance to contribute to that history myself now is a gift.

That the story I get to contribute is the aforementioned “Insect Song” makes the whole thing all the more special. I’m not shy about admitting that this story means a lot to me. In lieu of spoiling anything, I’ll simply say that “Insect Song” deals with themes and issues that are very close to my heart. I worked very hard to get it right, and while I still fear I’ve come up short, I hope I managed to do the subject matter at least some justice.

On that note, I owe a special debt to my beta readers for helping me stumble through several early drafts before settling on the one that will soon see print. In particular, a good friend of mine, Dee Culp, provided extremely thoughtful feedback that helped to mold the narrative in drastic but very important ways. I could not have done it without her.

Remember the first time you walked down that hall in Resident Evil and, SMASH, a pair of rabid hellhounds came flying through the window howling for your blood?

Or maybe you recall the first time you thought you’d scored an easy armor pick-up in Doom, only to unleash a monster-closet full of fireball-chucking imps and slobbering Pinky demons?

Or, hell, how about the first time you simply looked up in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and saw that awful skull-face grinning madly at you as it hurtled down from the sky?

If you do indeed remember, and remember fondly, then boy-oh-boy have I got something cool in store for you.

Today, I’m excited to share with you the official cover art and release details for Terror in 16-Bits, an upcoming anthology of all-new original fiction inspired by the classic horror video games we grew up with. From Splatterhouse to Silent Hill, Terror in 16-Bits pays tribute to all manner of pixelated ghosts ‘n’ goblins, and I’m very happy to report that a short story of mine, “Reset,” will be a part of it.

A Muzzleland Press publication, Terror in 16-Bits will debut at this year’s NecronomiCon Providence in August, before going on sale to the general public in both paperback and ebook form via the usual online marketplaces shortly thereafter. Until then, feel free to salivate over the table of contents below. It’s like a character select screen bringing together all the best fighters from a dozen different 2-D brawlers for one ultimate next-level deathmatch.

Time to dust off your Power Gloves and blow on your cartridge ports, boils and ghouls. We’re playing on hard mode now!